New business: Florida Georgia Citrus

Kim and Angela Jones are the owners and every day operators of Jefferson County's newest business and facility, 'Florida Georgia Citrus,' located at 5314 Boston Highway, north and east of downtown Monticello, and just two miles from the Georgia line.
The Citrus factory opened in 2016 and operates a variety of production stations within its walls; there's sorting and packing, boxing and bagging, conveyor belts, a cooler and freezer, and a room for squeezing and making juice and jams.
Satsuma groves cover 200+ acres of land in and around Jefferson County, some 800+ trees newly planted and already producing. By early 2018 a total of 2,800 trees will be set and planted and well on their way to growing for a future crop of delicious tasting satsumas.
It all started with Bethel Oaks Farm, a family owned farm, with big plans for the future of its owners and for Jefferson County. This productive business is fast-growing to meet the demand for fresh edible fruit, from the trees to the markets to the consumers.
Along with a few area growers, the Joneses are filling the much-needed market. They will eventually grow and produce other citrus like navals, decopons (sumas), lemons, grapefruit, oranges, and a variety of satsumas.
“The timing is now for us and this operation,” says Kim Jones. “We want to fill a need, the need for tree ripened, edible satsumas. We can grow early in North Florida, so we are ahead of south Florida and now is the time for us. Timing is crucial.”
“With us and our partners we have 20,000+ more trees producing very soon,” adds Jones. “We want to produce and sell fresh fruit, and we can do that here. Our plant is built for several hundred acres of fruit.”
This is a family affair for the Joneses. Their children, and especially grandchildren help with the production of satsumas. They work in the fields, the factory, whereever they are needed on any particular day.
The citrus factory is open for tours and visits. Contact Angela Jones at 1-229-224-7698 for more information. Fruit, jellies, syrups, and juices may be purchased during business hours. More information may be found on their Facebook page.
“We want to set a positive image for our employees and for the community. We want to make North Florida/South Georgia the place to go for satsumas and citrus. We want to be better and produce a product we are proud of.”